Decisive steps to bring nuclear test explosions to an end.

Radionuclide station RN49, Spitzbergen, Norway.



Nearly three decades ago, the world took decisive steps to bring nuclear test explosions to an end. Those actions changed the course of history. Where once the ground shook with alarming regularity, today such events are rare, a testament to the strength of our collective resolve. On August 29th, the International Day against Nuclear Tests (IDANT), we reaffirm our commitment to placing non-proliferation and disarmament first, and to ensuring that no person ever again lives in the shadow of a nuclear explosion.

We will never forget standing at ground zero in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan – a site scarred by more than 450 nuclear tests – the closure of which we also commemorate on this day. We felt the full weight of that history, a sobering reminder of what the international community must never allow to happen again.

At the height of the cold war, such tests occurred almost weekly. They were not only a grave risk to global peace and security but also had a lasting impact on public health and the environment.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was opened for signature in 1996 after years of determined multilateral effort. It reflected the combined strength of diplomatic will and scientific progress. By prohibiting nuclear test explosions conducted by anyone, anywhere, at any time, the Treaty transformed decades of aspiration into a shared commitment. It signalled that the world’s nations were ready to turn a historic page.

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